Last night’s opera was “Satyagraha” by Philip Glass, and I think I’ve already written about it. Libretto in Sanskrit from the Bhagavad Gita, the whole first scene take place within Gandhi’s meditation, the second and third acts depict actual events but none outside of South Africa, so that it’a more abut his formation than it is about who he became, but it also looks backward to Tolstoy and forward to Dr. King. Minimal titles, because what’s being sung is not directly related to the action. To say “It’s not your usual opera” is a gross understatement. Yet I find it oddly moving. Plus every time I see it I get new insights. I may have to break down and get the DVD. In unrelated news, yesterday my favorite browser went down, and when it came back up, it looked different I’m still finding things But, basically, just an annoyance. It shouldn’t be crippling.
Cartoon 
Short Takes –
Former Mueller Deputy Explains Why Indicting Trump Org Matters
Quote – [T]he one point I would make about the press reports of a company being charged — some viewers may think, “Well, what’s the import of that? Who cares? A company can’t go to jail, and that’s not what I’m really interested in.” But just remember, for a company to be found guilty, the government has to prove that at least one individual at the company is criminally liable, so it means more than just a company,
Click through for the rest. And if you are interested in reading C&L’s fluff story about Spiderman and the Pope, click here.
The Hill – Kagan rips colleagues in blistering 41-page voting rights dissent
Quote – She cited late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissent in the 1991 case Chisom v. Roemer in which he opined a supposedly neutral law that limited voter registration to only a few hours a week and thus made it more difficult for Black voters than white voters to register because of life circumstances would result in Black people having “less opportunity to participate in the political process than whites.”
Click through to see that she really let them have it. I figured everyone will have seen the indictments by the time this goes up, and voting rights is actually more important at this point.
The 19th – Women in the Biden White House earn 99 cents for every $1 earned by men
Quote – The gender wage gap is typically a “raw” figure that doesn’t adjust for experience, education, title or other factors. It simply looks at median wages. In past administrations, a lack of women in higher-paid positions widened the gap. But in the Biden administration, there is a wider distribution of women across the pay scale, not just in the lowest paid jobs where they have typically been concentrated. About 56 percent of the senior staff in Biden’s White House are women, and about 36 percent come from racially and ethnically diverse communities.
Click through for details. Nice to have some good news.
Food for Thought
Just for the record, here is the actual indictment from yesterday as a pdf file.
15 Responses to “Open Thread for July 2, 2021”
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Glad you are enjoying the operas. Hopefully all will be well with your favorite browser, with no problems. Thank you, Joanne, for post. I w/be in and out this weekend..as company is coming in. Happy Early 4th ! everyone.
Cartoon: The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 is a United States antitrust law which prescribes the rule of free competition among those engaged in commerce. *wiki
C&L: I can’t wait for the fireworks to start. Literally.
The Hill: Good for Justice Kagan, good article.
The 19th: Great news!
FFT: Yep!
This just in: Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she’s launching a select committee to investigate the January 6th attack and hold those seditious traitors accountable. Go get ’em, Madam Speaker.~ Brooklyn Dad Defiant ~2. Speaker of the House, focused on strengthening America’s middle class and creating jobs; mother, grandmother, dark chocolate connoisseur. ~ Madame Speaker Ms. Pelosi ~
3. “Speaker Pelosi announces intention to launch select committee to investigate January 6th riot.” “As an Army Veteran who swore to defend the Constitution, I thank you Speaker Nancy Pelosi for upholding your oath.” ~ David Weissman ~
4. “Allen Weisselberg’s indictment is the tip of the iceberg and it isn’t Weisselberg that prosecuters are looking for. ~ Michael Cohen ~
5. “Did you guys see our beautiful and classy First Lady on the cover of Vogue? Congratulations, Dr. Biden.”~ Jessica T. ~
TJI’s #1-3 – Yes – and see Keith Olbermann in today’s video thread.
TJI #4 – Yup.
TJI #5 – RWNJ’s are losing their minds (just a figure of speech – I do know they don’t have minds to lose) over this. Melania nevr had one.
TJI !-3: You go Madam Speaker of the House!
TJI#4: Nope their moving full speed to get to the top, including tRump.
Sounds to me that you’re going to be busy this holiday weekend, Pat.
Hope you have a safe and Happy 4th too, Pat.
I have not heard pf Philip glass in a dog’s/cat’s age.
‘Toon: These bastards find more work-arounds than Carter’s ever had “Little Liver Pills.”
Indictment matters, at least, because, as per GK, it scares away all the fools financially holding the org. together. And, as per GK, it may open the floodgates for others who were holding off seeing indictments.
TH: We need to expand the court! Or impeach a couple of the justices, which would be virtually impossible, I believe.
19th: Sounds almost too good to be true. ‘Twould be better if there were no gap, but this one is minuscule.
FFT: Of course we don’t, hey this is an “exceptional” place. I’m betting that other western countries do provide those things, at least more than we do.
Glass has has a couple of new productions at the Met in, oh, the last 5 years or so. The other one will also be stramed this week. Apparently he is an absolute delight for singers to work with. But then, many composers are, though not always in the same ways. Glass will change notes to fit voices. Adés won’t, but he gives singers the confidence to not need to. Or so they say, and it certainly seems to work.
TJI#1: You betcha!
TJI#2: Rocking, she is!
TJI#3: Ditto!
TJI#4:You betcha!
TJI#5: Class, not ….!
….crass! (But I’ll bet that’s not what you were thinking.)
Cartoon: New to me. I thank Pat for the information she shared on it.
C&L: Finally starting…hopefully many more will be prosecuted including tRump.
The Hill: Bravo Justice Kagan. They deserve every bit of what she’s throwing at them. It’s the People’s right to vote, these idiots have no right taking it away from them.
The 19th: Wonderful news. They deserve every single cent of it too.
Food for Thought: True words.
Happy to hear that you’ve been able to enjoy all of your favorite operas lately.
As for your browser, I take it that they did an update? Hope it’s working okay for you. Makes me think of Microsoft doing their updates without giving us any type of warning.
This is the first day that I’m finally feeling up to being online. I haven’t been using my right arm except to do small stretching outward and movement of my hand with exercises.
She did extensive repairing of the tendon plus area like they do for Tennis Elbow operations. Supposedly there was loose article? of some type in there that she removed. Plus a bit more. I don’t go to see her till next Tuesday, that’s to it being a holiday weekend coming up. Which I’m not too over joyed with, because I have a half inch oblong clear liquid filled cyst/blister that’s close to where she operated. Not sure what it is, but I’ll be making sure that it doesn’t get bigger or redder. I did go to P.T. last Monday, just to check in and they gave me the exercises that I’m doing at home. They didn’t want to do anything there because of all of the gauge and wrapping she had on my arm, plus the major pain it was giving me. I go for the next P.T. visit next Thursday.
I want to thank you all again for the kind thoughts and prayers. Again I truly appreciate it.
By the way, Joanne please let Carrie know that I’m praying for her regarding her skin spots. Hopefully they will be benign.
Take care.
Thanks Joanne
So good to see you feeling up to typing! I hope you didn’t stain anything doing it. yes, they must have done an update, I agree. They changed the background on my home page (not a problem – both old and newe are/were innocuous – bu a dead giveaway.) One reason it’s my favorite is that I can set the Zoom for 125% on every site with one setting. 125% now is looking a little smaller than it did – but that may be an illusion – and 150%, the next level, is too big (cuts too much away.) But I do always have hat option if I need it.
Hope your appointment on Tuesday goes well. I will definitely let Carrie know, and thanks.
Update – Carrie has a referral, and an appointment for Tuesday, the same day as yours. We’ll keep you both in out thoughts, and you can do the same for each other. 🙂
Definitely will do. Thanks for the update. Joanne
So good to see you back and typing, Colleen.
Or have you found the voice control for your computer/editor. I’ve never used it myself, but my hubby used it for most of his texts as he was the most terrible typist. It takes a while for the app that translates your speech into text to learn your specific speech patterns and you have to learn to switch between text input and command input, but it saved him a load of time. It may do the same for you and your arm.
Starting with the Trump Organization and Weisselberg indictment is perfectly understandable. I think most of us have girded ourselves to the fact that this will be a long process. “The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.”
Justice Kagan is, sadly, 100% correct.
I think we can all agree that the Roberts Court has made it significantly harder for people to vote for their representatives – but significantly easier for corporations to purchase them.
99 cents on the dollar is pretty good!
I like Philip Glass’ music and I remember hubby and me actually going to the movies – which we hadn’t done for quite a while – some 25 years ago to see Koyaanisqatsi. We were absolutely awestruck, so I think I can understand how you are moved by “Satyagraha”.
Cartoon: Tax and its evasion are both brainchildren of the Right, with taxes for others and evasions for them.
C&L: I’m still hoping there will be more indictments following than just Weisselberg’s.It needs to be the start of an avalanche, not the endstation.
TH: I completely missed SCOTUS’s 6-3 decision to uphold two Arizona voting restrictions “that discriminate against minority voters.” This is exactly why the Republicans/Trump administration has installed the last three ultra-conservative judges. In a few earlier, minor decisions SCOTUS managed to pull the wool over Democrats’ eyes, but now they are doing what they were hired to do: annihilate democracy so Republicans can rule.
No dissent, however strongly worded by the remaining liberal justices in SCOTUS, can undo the harm a politically operating Highest Court, towing the Republican party line, is causing America. This will just be the beginning of their unjust, extremely biased, self-serving rulings.
The 18th: Good news indeed.
FFT: Republican’s don’t want women to return to the workforce, they want them pregnant and barefooted in the kitchen.
Republicans have mixed feelings on women in the work force. Though they aren’t barefoot and pregnant while working, they are still much cheaper to hire.